Public Consultation Kent Community Infant Feeding Service
Public Consultation Kent Community Infant Feeding Service
We often hear that old adage ‘breast is best’ but what does that mean?
Breast fed babies have fewer chest infections, serious tummy upsets and infections, ear infections, andfeeding difficulties. There are fewer cases of cot death in breastfed babies and higher intelligence rates in children who have been breastfed. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of obesity, eczema, asthma and wheezing. A recent report also indicates that breastfed babies are less likely to be admitted to hospital for 10 different illnesses in the first year of life.
Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to suffer from breast cancer.
There are a number of groups of women who are less likely to breastfeed:
•Mothers living in more deprived areas.
•Older women are more likely to breastfeed, teenage mothers least likely.
•Mothers withother children have lower breastfeeding rates.
•Non White-British ethnicities are more likely to continue breastfeeding.
•Mothers of ‘normal’ weight babies are more likely to breastfeed
•Mothers who smoke are less likely to breastfeed.
•Mothers who are not of a healthy weight are less likely to breastfeed.
Not every mother can feed her baby but more support out there in our communities would help those mothers who are finding it difficult. Rates of breastfeeding in Kent are very low and breastfeeding advice and support provided in the community, for example specialist advice, training, peer supporters, etc. is not provided everywhere. It is therefore proposed that a Kent wide service is put in place which will fill the gaps and provide extra support in areas with the lowest breastfeeding rates.
It is also important that negative attitudes and beliefs about breastfeeding are tackled and the environment is more encouraging to breastfeeding mothers. This means working in settings like schools, workplaces and town centres and also working with the media.
Public Health has looked at the evidence and listened to some of the stories from mothers and families and identified some main tasks for this service. We would like to ask you if you think these are the right things to be doing.
In what capacity are you completing this questionnaire? (Please tick)
Responding as an individualResponding as a professional
Tasks for a Kent Community Infant Feeding Service
For each task, please tick the answer which most applies to you and add anything else you think is important, in the box provided.
Task / Agree / Disagree / Don’tKnow
To fill the gaps in community breastfeeding support so that there is access everywhere in Kent
To work more closely with women in ways that women say they want
The service should make sure that it is working well with other services for example midwives, health visitors, children’s centres and GPs
To use local mothers who have already breastfed their babies to give encouragement and support to mothers who are finding it difficult
To provide a specialist service where women who are experiencing more difficult problems can receive help and advice for example linking with tongue tie services
To assist all hospitals in Kent to improve their breastfeeding support to mothers (through achieving UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative standards of care) for more information see
To assist health visiting services to improve their breastfeeding support to mothers (through achieving UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative standards of care in the Community setting). For more information see
To train and provide professional support to other community services including GPs and their staff and children’s centres
To ensure that more services are provided in the areas where breastfeeding rates are low
To provide more information including a Kent wide website
To promote breastfeeding using media, including Breastfeeding Awareness Weeks
To work with maternity and health visitor leads to promote Healthy Start benefits
To work with schools on breastfeeding education
To work with local councils to promote breastfeeding friendly places including ‘Welcome’ signs in shops and restaurants etc.
To work with employers to make it easier for breastfeeding women to return to work
To provide regular progress reports to show how well the service is working
Please add below anything else you think we should be doing:
About You …
We want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and equally, and that no one gets left out. To help us we are asking you for some information about yourself. This information will only be used to help us make decisions about our services and for the purposes of service improvement.
If you would rather not answer any of these questions, you do not have to, but please go to the bottom of this page and click on ‘submit’ to ensure that we receive your previous answers.
To which of these ethnic groups do you feel you belong? (Source: 2011 census)
White / Mixed / Asian or Asian British / Black or Black BritishBritish / White & Black Caribbean / Indian / Caribbean
Irish / White & Black African / Pakistani / African
Gypsy/Roma / White & Asian / Bangladeshi / Other*
Irish Traveller / Other* / Other*
Other* / Arab / Chinese / I prefer not to say
*Other Ethnic Group – if your ethnic group is not specified in the list, please describe it here:
What is your religion?
No religion / Christian / Buddhist / HinduJewish / Muslim / Sikh / Any other religion
I prefer not to say
Thank you for providing this information, your feedback is important to us.
Please return this form to:
Val Miller
Kent Public Health Department
Room 3.45 Sessions House
County Hall
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 1XQ